Supplemental food-storage cabinet for use in conjunction with refrigerators



July 6, 1948. R. s. WYETH 2,444,837

SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD-STORAGE CABINET FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH REFRIGERATORS Filed Feb. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 4 R. s. WYETH 2,444,887

' SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD-STORAGE CABINET FOR .USE lN CONJUNCTION WITH REFRIGERATORS Filed Feb. 17, 1945 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 a 0 I i .1 .45 W/ef Patented July 6,

" UNITED "STATES- PAT NT orn g FOOD-STORAGE I FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH 82-" moaaaroas Ralph s. Wyeth, New aom Application February 17, 1945, Serial No. 578381 l This invention relates to food-storage-cabinets and, more particularly, is directed to cabinets adapted for the preservation and storage of many fresh foods which do not require low refrigerating temperatures, such [as various kinds of fruits, vegetables and the like.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present ins vention to provide a food storage cabinet which will maintain fresh fruits and vegetables at temperatures and under conditions adequate to prevent premature deterioration thereof, so that such comestibles will maintain their freshness and fiavor for reasonable periods of time pending final use thereof.

The present invention consists in the provision of a food storage cabinet in which the outer casing of the cabinet is formed with aplurality of sliding drawers of reticular formation and wherein provision is made in the construction of the cabinet to provide for the circulationof cool air through the comestibles contained in the sliding drawers..whereby to. maintain the same in a the cabinet and adjoining side wall of the associated refrigerator:

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view disclosing the use of an exhaust fan in the venting'outlet of the cabinet;

P18. 4 is a detail elevational view of the damper regulated cool air inlet of the cabinet;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view disclosing a modified form of my improved receptacle in which the interior thereof is separated from the interior of the associated refrigerator by an imperforate heat-exchanging wall;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view disclosing the air inlet of the receptacle when extended through an outside building wall.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral iii designates the cabinet of my improved food storage receptacle. The cabinet is formed to comprise spaced vertical side walls ii, a back wall ii, a top It, a bottom it and an open front. These walls'may be formed from any 3 Claims. (01. cz-sa) The inner surfaces r the side w u are previded with fixed drawer guides II I r the reception of a plurality of horizontally sliding drawers i 0. Each of these drawers includes imperforate 1, permit food stufls to be'readily placed therein 7 but, when closed, the drawers serve to seal the front of the cabinet but. through the provision of the perforate bottom walls thereof, air circulation through the interior of the cabinetis obtained, wherebyf tov Provide relatively uniform temperatures throughout the interior of the cabinet and around the food stuffs contained therein. Many freshfoods or vegetables do not require for their preservation low temperatures, such as cabinets of domestic refrigerators, the same oocupy a considerable space and place an additional burden on the cooling equipment of the refrigerator. Again, the presence of such fruits or vegetables in the storage cabinet of a refrigerator oftenresults in the transmisson of their taste characteristics to other foods, such as butter, and

this creates an undesirable condition.

Therefore, inits preferred form, I construct my improved food-storage receptacle as a separate unit from the associated cabinet of a domestic refrigerator, such as that indicated at 2|.

However, the construction of my receptacle is such as to permit it to be positioned immediately adJacent to one of the side walls of the refrigerator for the convenience of the housewife. 1

To chill or cool the interior of the cabinet ID, the adjoining side wall of the refrigerator 2| adjacent to the bottom thereofv is provided with a col-d air duct 22,. the latter establishing air flow communication between the interior of the refrigerator and the cabinet Ill. The duct 22 is partment of the refrigerator and that of the receptacle iii, may be in the form of a relatively thin sheet metal. panel, devoid in whole or in part suitable materials, such as metal, wood or the like of thermal insulation, the panel serving as a quate for the preservation of fresh food substances, but at a higher temperature than that which prevails within the refrigerator proper,

When fruits and fresh vegee 3 During periods'whenthe cooling mechanism of the refrigerator 2! is inactive, the valve 23 may be .closed, and relatively cool air: admitted into the bottom ofthecabinet ill by way of an air inlet "disposed adjacent to the floor, said inleti-being provided with a dain'perpr other valveshutter 20, so that the inlet may be opened or closedat will. likewise, the top of the cabinet l may be provided with an air outlet 21, regu- I 'or cold weather, the interior of the cabinet may be kept at a proper temperature through the use oi theexteriorly leading inlet and outlet ducts which lead to the enterior of the building, so that the mechanical refrigerating apparatus of the refrigerator II will be relieved of the added work of cooling the cabinet Ill. The exteriorly leading ducts are also useful when the food-storage receptacle is constructed to comprise an independ- 1 ent unit entirely separate from the associated refrigerator. 7

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the invention provides a' useful pantry or kitchen receptacle especially constructed for the ordinary reception and prolonged keeping of various fresh food products, such as fruits and ve etables.

The receptacle is so constructed as to maintain a cooled atmosphere around the food products stored therein, without actual refrigeration of such products a While my improved receptacle may be used separately, I find it advantageous to associate the same with a refrigerator of the mechanically cooled type, so that the refrigerating equipment of the associated refrigerator, without placing too great a burden thereon, may be used advantageously in maintaining adequately cooled temperatures within my improved food receptacle. However, the latteris provided with associated air inlet and outlet controls so that a circulation of cool air may be maintained within the cabinet thereof sumcient to maintain within the receptacle atmospheric temperatures substantially reducedascompared with extraneous room temperatures without resort to the artificially produced temperatures of the associated refrigerator.

My improved receptacle is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and, by reason of its sliding drawer construction, provides for maximum convenience in the matter of inserting foods into and removing the same from the receptacle. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and designof the above specifically described embodiments of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope ofthe following claims.

,I claim: V

1. A supplemental food-storage comprising vertical side and rear walls and horizontal top and bottom walls, a plurality of horizontally movable food-receiving drawers slidably mounted in connection with said walls, the botcabinet for use in conjunction with a household refrigerator tom of said drawers being formed with perforc tions provided for the passage therethrough of air circulating within said cabinet, said drawers being provided with unperforated front walls forming the front of said cabinet when the drawers are closed, an inlet for the admission of 2. A supplemental food-storage cabinet for use in conjunction with a household refrigerator comprising vertical side and rear walls and horizontal top and bottom walls,- a plurality of horizontally movable food-receiving'drawers slidably mounted in connection with said walls, the bottom of said drawers being formed with perforations provided for the passage therethrough of air circulating withim said cabinet, said drawers being provided'with unperforated front walls forming the front of said cabinet when the drawers are closed, an inlet for the admission of relative cool air provided in the said cabinet adjacent to the bottom thereof, an outlet for the discharge of air leading from the upper portion of said cabinet, and a second air inlet provided in the lower part of said cabinet and attached for communication with theinterior of the associated refrigerator, and valve means for regulating the flow of air through said inlets and outlet.

3. A supplemental food-storage cabinet for use in conjunction with a household refrigerator comprising vertical side and rear walls and horizontal top and bottom walls, a plurality of horizontally movable food-receiving drawers slidably mounted in connection with said walls, the bottom of said drawers being formed with perforations provided for the passage therethrough of air circulating within said cabinet, said drawers being provided with unperforated front walls forming the front of said cabinet when the drawers are closed, an inlet for the admission of relative cool air provided in the said cabinet adjacent to the bottom thereof, an outlet for the discharge of air leading from the upper portion of said cabinet, and a second air inlet provided in the lower part of said cabinet and attached for communication with the interior of the associated refrigerator, and valve means for regulating the flow of air through said inlets and outlet and motor actuated air in displacing means provided in said outlet. 1

RALPH S. WYETH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

